Their Story
by RedPandaMunchkin
Summary: And with that, he realized just how far his affection for her ran. Gale/Katniss


They were two of a kind: both had their fathers lost to the same mine incident and both had a starving family to feed because their mothers could not do it. Needless to say, he was wary at first. Anyone like him might steal his game from him and starve his family further. So he resolved that he wouldn't open up to her, trust her, or even like her in any way, shape, or form. He didn't think it would be particularly hard. She was, after all, sullen, hostile, and near _impossible to get along with_.

Then came _another_ day (he remembers this one too) when they skipped school to hunt. It had been a good day so far, with a deer, four rabbits, and three squirrels. They were on good terms with one another by now, they had hunted together every day for the past fifteen months. He joked with her too, but that shield she had built around herself hadn't quite crumbled yet. Still, he admitted to himself, she could tell him things she could never talk to her sister or mother about, and it was the same for found spending time with her enjoyable, and the tiring task of hunting for food was now what he looked forward to every day. And this was the first time they had actually left school for the place beyond the fence.

He aimed up into the trees and took a shot. And missed. He swore and ducked just in time for an arrow to go whizzing above his head, embedding itself cleanly into the bird he had been aiming for.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're getting old, Grandpa Hawthorne," Katniss teased, the hint of a smirk on her lips.

He shook his head, "Oh, please Catnip, you don't know anything."

"You know, I think you are starting to grow some grey hair," she said, coming to stand in front of him, and reached up to the flop of hair he kept messily trimmed so it didn't fall in his face.

He grinned and pushed her hand away. "Oh shut up."

And he couldn't believe what happened next. She laughed. A damn full-blown _laugh._ It annoyed him how much his heart fluttered and his stomach jumped just watching her laugh. She was finally opening up to him, crossing that wall that prevented her from getting close to anyone. Or, in a sense, bringing Gale in and closing it again, so that it could be the two of them. And the thought made him immensely happy.

She was different. Not any richer, not any taller, and _definitely_ not any fatter, but different. Everyone noticed it, especially the boys at school, Gale thought, blood boiling. She wasn't a nobody from the Seam anymore. She was someone that was succeeding in the task of keeping her family alive. And he was proud of her for that. But that didn't mean he was happy about the attention she managed to get from the male population at school. In fact he hated it. After that, he hung around with Katniss at school, too. They sat together at lunch and it was obvious she preferred this to sitting with the Mayor's daughter and not saying anything at all. He glared at the boys who so much as let their gazes wander within a foot of her. So they soon gave up, not wanting to waste their time on a girl that might not appreciate them anyway. They knew the truth anyway. She only had eyes for him, even if they weren't in the way he wanted them to be. Of course, by that he meant that he wanted her to look at him like a brother and not just some guy she could talk to (at least, that's what he told himself).

He shook his head, frustrated. Where _was _she? She never missed hunting, _ever!_ Gale couldn't understand why he was upset she hadn't showed up. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was his birthday and he hadn't seen her all day. Yeah, that was missed her, of course. He went home depressed that day because she hadn't shown up. His family knew better than to cross him when he was upset so he sulked by himself in his and Rory's room. It was after sundown when someone came knocking on their door. Gale opened it and was delighted to find a smiling Katniss, who threw her arms around him. And he forgot all about his anger at her not coming to see him.

"Happy Birthday!" she told him happily and held out a small bag and box. The box had inside it a blue frosted cake. Katniss's eyes watched him, shining as he went to open the second parcel. It was a set of knives, a dozen, to be exact. Every single one had a beautifully carved handle and looked incredibly expensive.

"Catnip, please don't tell me you traded an arm and leg for this," Gale said, only half-joking.

"Stupid. I've been saving up. As for the cake, I went hunting early this morning and caught a few squirrels for the baker. So, how is it?" Suddenly she was nervous, fiddling with her jacket.

"Are you kidding? This is amazing! Thank you so much!" He swept her into a hug, holding her close to him, and only then did he realize just how far his affection for her ran.

* * *

Gale took out his anger on his food. The damned baker's boy. It was him. It had always been him; realization hit him harder than any animal he had stabbed.

It all made sense. The stolen glances from her, the constant staring from him-something had happened between them and it annoyed Gale that he didn't know what. He knew everything about her...except that one moment. He cursed the world for everything-the Games, the poverty, not making him the only boy- no _man_ in her life. It wasn't fair. He had thought, after his horrible excuse for a life, that she may be the one to bring him happiness, be the one thing he wouldn't lose.

Of course, the Capitol would take her away. They had a way of knowing these things.

And now, he watched them kiss. Over, and over, and over again. It was obvious that it was all true, Katniss was such a horrid liar. He knew, the emotions she displayed were real. But then again, she could hide things from even him. He wondered if he really knew her at all, these past five years

Everyone in the Seam looked at him with pity. They had took it for granted, the way Gale and Katniss were stuck together like glue. They could see the affection he had for her in every longing look he threw her way. They had always thought they'd end up happily married, even if they never had children together. It was one of those things you just felt sure about.

Again, the Capitol had a way of knowing these things.

* * *

He didn't come to the wedding, or even come to see her afterwards. He ignored Madge's offers for comfort;he knew she liked him, it was quite obvious to everyone.

She found a note on her pillow.

_I'm sorry. For everything._

She rushed out of the door, knowing only one person with scribbly handwriting like that. Her mind raced, where would he be. And then it struck her. Their clearing.

His knife trembled in his hands, poised at his chest.

"Gale Hawthorne! Don't you dare!" she was breathing hard, her hair was strewn across her face and Gale wondered how she still looked lovely.

He dropped the knife, one of the ones she had given him for his birthday, to be precise.. She snatched it up wordlessly, leaving a deathly quiet silence between them.

"What were you thinking?" she asked quietly, sitting beside him on their rock.

His voice was strained. "I was thinking I could end my misery and let you live happily..." or something like that.

Her reply was steely. "And what about my misery? If you can't stand your feelings and kill yourself, what's stopping me from doing the same?" he didn't answer, puzzled into thinking. "What gives you the right to put me in so much pain?"

"Katniss, what are you talking about?"

She gave him a sad smile. "I don't even have a nickname anymore?"

"You hate me." Gale said pointedly.

"I don't. You're my best friend Gale."

He exploded. "That's the damn point Katniss! I'm just your best friend. Nothing more. And we're not even that close anymore. You want to know how I really feel? Fine. _I love you._ I've been in love with you for a long time. And now you hate me! And don't you dare tell me otherwise. Do you know how much it hurts seeing you with him everyday?"

"More than it'll hurt knowing that I'll never see you again? That it's my fault you're dead?" she asked, in that quiet voice again.

He opened his mouth but she beat him to it. "Because it won't, I'm sure. How would you feel if I died and you were still living?"

"Horrid, but that's different because-"

"Because I love you too?" she finished, not meeting his eyes. She sighed. "Look, Gale. I love you so much I can't even stand it. There's a reason I married Peeta. And he understands that I will never love him like he does me. Snow was going to kill you if I didn't keep up my act with Peeta. Do you think I could've lived with myself if you died and I hadn't done anything?"

That eerie silence settled over them again, the only sound they heard was her deep breathing, in an effort to calm herself.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Katniss kicked a rock. "What good would it have done?" she said bitterly. "I would have screwed up _this_ even more. We weren't as close as we once were and I didn't want to lose the only tie I had to you."

"Then what are we now Katniss?" he asked, almost innocently.

"I-" she threw her hands into the air in a gesture of helplessness.

He pulled her into his arms and she didn't pull away, despite the fact she married less than five hours ago and this was considered disloyalty.

"Katniss, have you ever thought about running away?"

And their story begins once more.

_-Fin-_


End file.
